Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says the government should prioritise rehabilitating existing infrastructure before embarking on new projects that may also end up abandoned.
In a tweet on Saturday, Obi acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s directive to governors where he cautioned against committing scarce public resources to constructing unnecessary flyovers in areas with little traffic while neglecting more pressing developmental needs.
Obi lauded the president’s order but noted that the admonition must also apply to the federal government.
“There are several unrealistic and white-elephant projects being pursued by the current administration, even as much of our critical infrastructure remains in a state of disrepair,” the NDC presidential candidate said.
“Given our present fiscal realities, priority should be given to rehabilitating and completing existing infrastructure rather than embarking on expensive new projects with limited immediate impact.
“Across Nigeria, many of our major highways linking commercial centres and food-producing communities have deteriorated into death traps. Neglecting these critical roads while pursuing prestige projects is neither economically prudent nor people-centred.”
According to Obi, the philosophy guided his administration as governor of Anambra.
“I prioritised completing viable projects initiated by my predecessors before embarking on new ones. Government is a continuum, and development should never be measured by who starts a project, but by whether it is completed and serves the people,” he added.